Minimum System Requirements
The following minimum hardware and software requirements are needed in order to reliably access your courses in MCC eCampus Blackboard learning management system. Individual instructors may have additional requirements for their specific class or classes. Be sure to carefully check the instructor plan and/or syllabus.
Minimum / RecommendedOperating System / Windows Vista or higher
Mac OSX 10.6 or higher / Windows 7 or higher
Mac OSX 10.7 or higher
Processor / 1.5 GHz or faster processor / 2.5 GHz or faster processor
Memory / 2 GB of RAM / 4 GB or more of RAM
Monitor Resolution / WSVGA - 1024 X 768 / WXGA - 1600 X 900 or higher
Free Hard Drive Space / 5 GB of free disk space / 20 GB or more of disk space
Internet Connection / Broadband connection with 1.5 Mbps connection / Broadband connection with 4 Mbps connection or higher
Internet Browser / Current version of Internet Explorer, Safari, Chrome or Firefox / Current version of Firefox and Respondus Lockdown Browser
Java Runtime Environment / Java is required to use Blackboard. Click the browser check link in Quick Links on the right to test your configuration.
Adobe Reader / Adobe PDF Reader is required to use Blackboard. Click here to download the latest version.
Adobe Flash Player / Flash Player is required to use Blackboard. Click here to download the latest version.
Students are expected to maintain regular and reliable access to a computer with a stable broadband Internet connection. If your computer is older than 4 years old, it may not have the processing power to work with Blackboard or current versions of the required software.
All MCC campus computers are configured to use Blackboard and will have most of the software needed to complete your online coursework. If additional software is needed on an MCC lab computer, please contact the administrator of the lab for assistance.
If your computer is publicly accessed off campus or is loaned to you, you may be prohibited from downloading files or software. Keep this in mind because many instructors do require file downloads in their courses.
Notes About Mobile Devices
Blackboard has a mobile app called Blackboard Mobile Learning which is available for Apple iOS and Android OS. Please note that you very likely will NOT be able to complete an online course using only a mobile device. A laptop or desktop computer is almost always required. If you only have a mobile device, and you can not come to MCC campus to use a lab computer, contact your instructor immediately to discuss your situation.
Notes About Antivirus and Antimalware Programs
It is highly recommended that you run an antivirus program on every computer that connects to the Internet or shares files with other computers. Thankfully there are some good choices of FREE antivirus and antimalware programs available. You should only install and run one program of each type. Conflicts and false positive reports can result with multiple installations, not to mention wasted system resources. Many antivirus programs now include an antimalware component, so read carefully before you install both types of programs.
Antivirus / Mac / WindowsMicrosoft Security Essentials / N/A / Click Here
Avast! Free / Click Here / Click Here
AVG Free / N/A / Click Here
BitDefender Free / N/A / Click Here
Antimalware / Mac / Windows
Malwarebytes / N/A / Click Here
Spybot Search and Destroy / N/A / Click Here
Reminder: You must update your antivirus and antimalware on a frequent and regular basis. Most of these programs will automatically update which is nice. Restarts after updates/upgrades maybe needed in some cases so do not postpone the restart.
Notes About Browsers
Some exams require that you use the Respondus Lockdown Browser and may possibly require a webcam for Respondus Monitor. This browser and a webcam are only needed for examinations. Download Lockdown Browser via the Quick Links menu on the right. Each school has its own configuration for LockDown Browser so you must use this link for use at MCC.
The first step to see if your computer is correctly set-up for Blackboard is to check your browser compatibility using the Browser Check link in the Quick Links menu on the right. We strongly recommend Blackboard students use the latest version of Mozilla Firefox for Windows and Mac because it is the browser that Blackboard supports.